


Together Again for the First Time

by RileyC



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel (2013), Superman: The Animated Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Meetings, Identity Porn, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 05:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3798058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RileyC/pseuds/RileyC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of events depicted in <i>Man of Steel</i>, Bruce "Batman" Wayne takes a keen interest in this god-like alien called Superman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together Again for the First Time

**Author's Note:**

> This was started about a year ago, then set aside, with the recent teaser/trailer for _Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice_ , bringing it to mind once more. Obviously I have zero idea what will actually happen in that movie but when did that ever stop us from speculating? My particular dream would be something along the lines of the "World's Finest" three-parter from _Superman: The Animated Series_ , and this story is a tip of the hat to that as much as anything else.
> 
> I hope the start of a new fic will be welcome. My own hope is that working on something new will help to get rid of the sense of spinning my wheels that has led to other stories stalling out. If you're still hoping for new chapters of the other WIPs, hang in there, they're coming, and never think your interest and patience is taken for granted.

“You’re quite certain it’s harmless?” Alfred asked as he watched Bruce pick up the shard of meteorite.

“Would I do this if it weren’t?” Bruce asked in the split second before he tossed the rock Alfred’s way.

Alfred caught it, rather less adroitly than he might have liked, and trained a severe look on Bruce. “One never knows with you, sir.”

He held it up to the light for a closer examination. To the naked eye, at least, it was largely indistinguishable from any other meteorite. It did possess a quality like obsidian, he thought, quite smooth in texture—and sharp, he found, as he ran a careful thumb along the edge. For an instant, as he turned it, the piece of rock caught a glimmer of light in the cave and seemed to emit a faint, green glow that struck him as possessing a subtle malevolence. Fanciful nonsense, of course, yet he was glad to hand it back to Bruce.

“Even if it is a fragment of this Krypton,” he said as Bruce placed the splinter of rock in a lead-lined case, “why should it be inimical to Superman?” Sometimes Alfred tried to pinpoint the precise moment that such things as alien beings with godlike powers had become nearly commonplace to him. He supposed it must have been about the time Bruce introduced him to that fellow from Atlantis. 

Bruce regarded the rock, a pensive look on his face, then looked up at the computer monitor and an image of Superman displayed there. “Lex Luthor believes there’s a correlation to the metabolic metamorphosis he underwent.” Bruce gestured at the screen that now showed Superman in flight, fire shooting from his eyes—an image Alfred found magnificent and terrifying. “Maybe there’s something about Krypton that, when introduced to our atmosphere, triggers these changes.” 

“Alchemy.”

Bruce glanced at him. “Something like.” He wasn’t satisfied with the explanation, in no small part because it came from Lex Luthor—obtained by the Batman during a late night excursion to Metropolis some weeks ago. That he had been unable to expand and broaden Luthor’s research was part of the reason for the present proposed expedition. He lifted his shoulders in a dismissive shrug and snapped the lid shut on the case. “I’ll know more when I’ve met him.”

Alfred eyed the screen once more, uneasy in his bones. “I’m still not convinced this is advisable, sir.”

Bruce smiled and patted his shoulder. “I’m not going in unarmed, Alfred,” he said, and tapped the case.

Alfred raised an eyebrow, not swayed. “ _If_ Mr. Luthor is correct in his conjectures.”

“Lex is a lot of things, slapdash isn’t one of them.” Bruce reached for his overcoat, making a cranky face as Alfred insisted on helping him on with it. In moments like that, Alfred was always struck by a marked resemblance to young Damian, who was even now bearing down on them, his brothers on his heels.

“Father.” Damian stomped up. “It has come to my attention that you mean to challenge this alien menace.” He aimed a contemptuous look at the screen. “I have devoted much thought as to how he can be defeated and look forward to our confrontation.” For emphasis, he punched his fist into his palm.

Bruce looked over at Dick who shrugged and held out his hands in a, ‘What can I tell you?’ gesture, while Jason said, “So you just entirely missed the part where Big Blue here can eat bullets for breakfast and fry you like an egg?”

Damian replied with a look of withering contempt. Jason rolled his eyes and leaned past Tim for a closer look at the news footage now playing. It showed Superman in pursuit of the one called Zod, in what certainly looked to Alfred like a desperate attempt to contain the other Kryptonian and move their battle to some more neutral location. That unquestionably counted in the gentleman’s favor in Alfred’s eyes.

“I can’t get past the speed,” Tim said, a note of awe in his voice. “We wouldn’t stand a chance against that.”

While Damian dismissed that with a cluck, Jason peered closer and shook his head. “Not the raw power maybe, but there’s a certain lack of finesse. Like he’s never trained in combat and is going on instinct.”

“Good instinct,” Dick said as Superman sent Zod hurtling through a deserted skyscraper. “Can you imagine how it feels to move like that? Talk about flying through the air with the greatest of ease.”

Stretched on tiptoe to see the screen, Damian demanded, “Am I the only one who perceives the menace?”

Three voices chorused back at him: “Yes.”

Bruce shook his head and crouched down to look Damian in the eye. “My intention is to gather intelligence about Superman. Until we know more about him, we can’t determine his role.”

“Well, I’m calling hero,” Dick said.

“Bruce is right, though,” Tim said. “We need more intel. Someone with this potential, they don’t just tip the scale one way or another, they obliterate it.”

Lips thinned out, Jason nodded and glanced at Bruce. “Luthor got an eye on him?”

Bruce acknowledged that with a brief nod. 

Jason jerked his chin at the screen. “How do you buy someone like that?”

“You don’t,” Tim said. “You corrupt him.”

Dick blew out a breath, looked at Bruce. “Better not let that happen, huh?”

“I still say we can find ways to blow him up.”

Bruce looked at Alfred, rolled his eyes; Alfred bit down on a smile. “No one’s blowing anybody up, now or in the future.” Bruce looked around at them all. “You know the drill. Stick to it. Understood?”

“Make sure the doors and windows are locked,” Dick said, “don’t open the door to strangers, don't let Damian go joyriding in the Batmobile--”

Damian expressed his thoughts on _that_ with a snort.

“—and keep Oracle updated.”

 _“Oracle is always updated.”_ Barbara’s voice carried through the cave and the bats rustled. _“Cassandra and Stephanie are on their way back from Hong Kong. Somebody needs to meet them at the airport.”_

“On it,” Dick said. 

Bruce nodded and slipped the lead-lined case in his coat pocket.

“Good luck, sir, and do take care.”

“Always do, Alfred.”

As he headed over to the elevator, Alfred noted that Bruce gave the box a light pat. He wondered if it was for luck.

**Author's Note:**

> Next up: a charity gala in Metropolis where the rest of our players will assemble.


End file.
